Meyron

Reference summary — not medical advice or a personal risk estimate.

Salted fish, Chinese-style

Group 1 — carcinogenic to humansFood & DrinkdietaryEvidence: sufficient_in_humans

Quick answer

Classified as Group 1 — carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence in humans. Eaten. Chinese-style preserved salted fish — especially when eaten in childhood. Strongest association in regions where it is a traditional staple.

Summary

Chinese-style salted fish, especially eaten in childhood, is associated with increased nasopharyngeal cancer risk.

Detail

Chinese-style salted fish is preserved by salting and partial drying, generating nitrosamines during the process. IARC classifies it as Group 1 with sufficient evidence for nasopharyngeal carcinoma; risk is strongest when consumption begins in childhood.

What's not established

This classification is based on sufficient evidence in humans that this factor can cause cancer. It does not establish a safe exposure threshold, your personal risk, or how this factor's risk compares in size to other Group 1 agents — hazard classifications are not ranked by magnitude.

Regional relevance

east_asiasouth_asiasoutheast_asia

regional

Documented in these products

Salt-cured fish (Chinese-style)

Presence in a product category doesn't imply the product causes cancer. Click each to see the source and context.

Evidence sources

Every claim on this page traces back to one of these. Click through to read the primary document yourself.

Primary sources

IARC

IARC Monographs — Classifications by Cancer Site, Vols 1–140

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Supporting sources

ACS

ACS — Known and Probable Human Carcinogens

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NTP

NTP — Report on Carcinogens (US National Toxicology Program)

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WCRF/AICR

WCRF/AICR — Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: a Global Perspective (Third Expert Report)

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WCRF/AICR

WCRF — Cancer Prevention Recommendations

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Last reviewed: October 2026

Official reference list

A government list some readers use alongside the primary evidence. Meyron is not affiliated with it. A chemical being listed does not by itself describe a risk from any particular product.